Osborn & Barr People In The News

Chuck Zimmerman

Osborn & Barr CommunicationsIt’s people in the news time at Osborn & Barr Communications. This time we have several announcements for you:

Jill GainerJill Gainer, the former manager of emerging initiatives and media manager for Enterprise Rent-A-Car, has joined Osborn & Barr Communications as media director. After eight years on the client side of the business, Jill returns to agency life to lead Osborn & Barr’s media department. Her responsibilities include recommending the media vehicles that best meet the client’s communication objectives and supervising media planning and buying on all accounts.

Anna LaRue has been promoted to associate art director for Intervet, John Deere Credit, and Pony Express and Specialty Fertilizer Products. As part of her creative responsibilities, Anna has undertaken major rebranding efforts and contributed to interactive Web site development. Anna received a bachelor of fine arts with a major in graphic design from the Kansas City Art Institute in Kansas City, Missouri.

Kent MartinKent Martin was hired as associate director of public relations to provide communications expertise for association clients and government clients. Kent is also responsible for helping to grow Osborn & Barr’s Gov-Link business, specializing in providing outreach and education services to government agencies.

Osborn & Barr Communications has hired Justin McCurry as production graphics specialist. McCurry will be putting his agricultural experience and graphics expertise to work on the agency’s John Deere accounts. He graduated from the University of Missouri at Columbia and has degrees in graphic design, sculpture and ceramics.

Osborn & Barr Communications has promoted Roxi Beck to account executive. Roxi’s farming background and familiarity with ag production and financing bring ideal expertise to the John Deere Credit account. The Iowa Farm Bureau account, Foxboro Business Center and the National Pork Board have also benefited from Roxi’s strategic approach and detailed planning. Roxi graduated from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where she worked in the public relations department to develop marketing and advertising campaigns for various events and supervised sponsorship efforts.

Phew. That’s all for now.

Agencies

Pioneer & Dow AgroSciences Receive Herculex XTRA Approval

Chuck Zimmerman

Pioneer Hi-BredPioneer Hi-Bred and Dow AgroSciences announced today that they’ve received U. S. regulatory approvals for Herculex XTRA Insect Protection. Growers can look for this trait in corn hybrids for 2006 planting. Of course this was produced and distributed as a Talking News Release!

Herculex XTRACorn growers now have access to the broadest-spectrum in-plant insect protection in the marketplace with the federal registration of Herculex® XTRA Insect Protection.

Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. and Dow AgroSciences LLC, the trait’s developers, recently received registration from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for Herculex XTRA Insect Protection. Kyle Whitaker, New Product Launch Manager for Pioneer Hi-Bred, says this action gives the companies the ability to offer this trait in corn hybrids to U.S. growers for 2006 planting. Full Release

Agribusiness

Andy Markwart Talks About IFAJ 2009

Chuck Zimmerman

ZimmCast40 - Andy MarkwartIf you’ve read AgWired for long you know about the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (IFAJ). I got to attend this year’s congress in Switzerland and am on the planning committee for the 2009 IFAJ Congress, which will be here in the United States! We’ve already had our first planning meeting. I know 4 years seems like a long time but not when you’re planning an international event.

One of the planning committe co-chairs is Andy Markwart, editor of The Furrow, a John Deere publication. You can get some insight into the planning process as well as where we recommend it be held. The event will be held in conjunction with the Ag Media Summit that year.

You can listen to this week’s ZimmCast here: Download MP3 File

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar. You can also now find the ZimmCast on CoolCast Radio.

Ag Media Summit, Audio, Podcasts, Publication, ZimmCast

Ag Editor Is Blogging

Chuck Zimmerman

It was only a matter of time before we started seeing this. This, being an agricultural editor who is now blogging! I came across a link to Matt Mullen while visiting Paul Conley’s blog. Lo and behold, Matt’s actually got 3 blogs.

Matt Mullen – This blog provides independent information and a forum for parties interested in the business of agriculture and agricultural biotechnology.

B2BPubBlog – This is a blog on my efforts to better understand blogging and how it fits into participatory journalism, specifically trade journalism. This blog will provide a behind-the-scenes look at my attempts to start two blogs—one for people interested in the business of agricultural biotechnology and another for tobacco farmers.

Tobacco Farm Blog – The blog for tobacco farmers and other interested parties.

Of course you may wonder who Matt is. His profile says he’s “Magazine editor of publications providing growers of row crops with production and business information.” It looks like he writes for Tobacco Farm Quarterly. Maybe if he reads this he can provide more details.

I think we’ll see more of this. I was surprised to hear a friend of mine say there’s at least 10 people in his company who have their own private blogs that he knows of.

How many of you have a blog? Would you care to share with us? If you’d like, I’ll be happy to share it right here on AgWired too.

Publication

Nominate Your Excellent Soybean Grower Now

Chuck Zimmerman

United Soybean BoardDo you know an excellent soybean grower? One who’s demonstrated outstanding achievements? Now’s the time to nominate them for the United Soybean Boards annual awards. Let’s flood them with nominations and make it really hard to pick one!!

The United Soybean Board (USB) currently seeks nominations for its annual 2005 Outstanding Achievement Award and 2005 Excellence in International Marketing Award. These awards recognize outstanding individuals who have made a strong contribution for the benefit of soybeans, soybean farmers and the soybean checkoff.

The USB Outstanding Achievement Award is the highest award recognition bestowed by USB. This is given to an individual, organization or group that has made an outstanding positive impact on the soybean industry and the soybean checkoff.

The USB Excellence Award is a rotating award that recognizes outstanding achievement in five categories: communications, domestic marketing, international marketing, new uses and production research. One excellence award recipient will be recognized annually. This year USB will present an award for Excellence in International Marketing.

Nominations must be received by December 16, 2005, for consideration. Nominations received after December 16 or by telephone will not be accepted. Supporting nominations and co-signatures also may be attached and are strongly encouraged. All nominations must be submitted on the attached nomination form and mailed, e-mailed or faxed to:

USB Awards Program
c/o Osborn & Barr Communications, Attn.: Karen Pfautsch
One North Brentwood, 8th Floor
St. Louis, MO 63105
fax: 314/726-6350

The awards will be presented at Commodity Classic next year.

Ag Groups, USB

Iron Solutions Announces New Sales VP

Chuck Zimmerman

Iron SolutionsFirst the product announcements come out in droves, then it’s people announcements. Iron Solutions has someone new to lead their sales efforts.

IRON Solutions, LLC announced the appointment of Bruce Arduser, vice president of sales. Arduser brings more than 30 years of sales and marketing experience to IRON Solutions (www.ironsolutions.com). He has spent most of his career in sales management, primarily with Pioneer/DuPont, building sales teams, developing their skills and providing leadership to accomplish growth goals. “We are thrilled to have Bruce join our company and to lead our sales and marketing team,” said Merlyn Friesen, president and CEO.

Agribusiness

Farm Journal Media Promotes Steve Custer

Chuck Zimmerman

Steve CusterNow for another organizational change. This time it’s Farm Journal Media who’s promoted Steve Custer. Congratulations!

Steve Custer has been promoted from Senior Vice President to the position of Executive Vice President of Farm Journal Media. In his new position, Custer gains new product development responsibilities for Farm Journal Media in Philadelphia. He continues to oversee the FARM JOURNAL, TOP PRODUCER and Database Strategies profit centers and is looking to hire an Associate Publisher to assist in those duties. “I have had the privilege of working with dozens of top publishing and media executives in my nearly 30 years in this business and count Steve among the best,” said Andy Weber, CEO of Farm Journal Media.

Media

Organizational Changes At Valent

Chuck Zimmerman

ValentValent just announced some organizational changes that sure look like they’re adding a lot to someone’s work load! As the head man Trevor certainly had a full time job. Now he’s taking on all field sales? Wow.

Valent U.S.A. Corporation has announced president and chief operating officer Trevor Thorley will assume direct responsibility of all field sales related activity as part of the company’s commitment to creating a closer working relationship with customers. In addition to his responsibilities as General Manager for Region Americas for Sumitomo Chemical in the United States and Latin America, Thorley will oversee the overall direction for Valent’s crop sales organization, professional products group and Canadian businesses. “This reorganization is designed to reinforce Valent’s focus on customer care within every facet of our business,” said Thorley.

To support Valent’s commitment in field operations, the company welcomes Danny Rogers as the new strategic accounts manager and Alan Kennedy as the new western regional manager.

Agribusiness

Sara & Saxby Have A Chat

Chuck Zimmerman

Sara & SaxbyProving that she is definitely connected in Washington, DC, Sara Wyant sat down for a little “chat” with Senate Ag Committee Chairman, Saxby Chambliss this week. You have to subscribe to her newsletter, Agri-Pulse, to read all about it. Here’s an excerpt:

With less than three years of experience as Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, the Georgia Republican has established an impressive track record. He managed to trim the required budgetary savings from agriculture down to $3 billion and successfully forged a compromise that enabled a budget reconciliation measure to pass out of committee last week
with no amendments. In a room where Chambliss is sometimes surrounded by five former chairmen, it might seem like a daunting task. But his strong relationships with other former chairmen such as Sens. Harkin and Leahy pays off, he says. “It was a difficult process, but they helped make it easier.” Still, Chambliss recognizes that tough challenges, like payment
limits, are still likely to emerge on the Senate floor. More tests are yet to come.

In her chat with the Senator, Sara gets him to discuss the farm bill and world trade.

Uncategorized

Syngenta Obtains Gramoxone Inteon Registration

Chuck Zimmerman

SyngentaHere’s an announcement from Syngenta that is filled with words I love, like “burndown.” That’s what I want to do to weeds, burn them down! Even better this new formulation is more “user-friendly.”

An innovative new formulation of paraquat herbicide, just registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), sets a higher industry standard for protection of users while delivering the same effective broad-spectrum weed control that US growers have relied on for more than 40 years. New Gramoxone Inteon™ herbicide from Syngenta Crop Protection is as effective as Gramoxone Max® in burndown and harvest aid uses, and offers an effective alternative to glyphosate technology.

“Gramoxone Inteon is a major advance in product stewardship and reduced risk,” said Rusty Wendt, Syngenta brand manager. “This new innovative formulation continues the Gramoxone tradition by providing outstanding weed control and an effective weed resistance management tool option.”

Agribusiness